Greek Gods
The Gods are a race of powerful, immortal beings who control the forces of nature and magic and who rule over large portions of the Earth, including animals and mortals. The Olympian gods had a king, Zeus, who reigned over both man and god from his divine throne on Mount Olympus. They served as minor protagonists in the first game, helping Kratos with his quest to kill Ares; however, as the series progressed, they turned into one the series' main antagonists. Greek Mythology The gods, along with the Titans, are supreme mythical beings that can create and control all kinds of magic and power. In Greek mythology, the gods, also called the Olympians (Δωδεκάθεον), were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus, a place forbidden for any mortal to travel unless given direct authorization to do so by the gods themselves. The 6 original Olympians were Hades, Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Zeus. Later on there were 12 true Olympians, which included: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus and Hestia, who later gave up her throne for Dionysus. Hades was not included because he resided in his home of the Underworld, rarely speaking with any of the other gods. The 12 mighty Olympians gained their supremacy in the world after Zeus led his siblings to victory in the war with the Titans. The six original Olympians were the children of Cronos and Rhea (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades). Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, the Charites, Hercules, Dionysus, the Muses, Hebe, and Persephone were children of Zeus and Aphrodite was born of sea foam from Ouranos's remains were all later recognized as Olympians. Helios, Eos, and Selene are other important Olympians and goddesses which are sometimes included in a group of twelve. Greeks of good age knew of poetry about the war between the Gods and Titans. The dominant one, and the only one that had survived was in the Theogony attributed to Hesiod. A lost epic, Titanomachia - attributed to the legendary blind Thracian bard Thamyris - was not mentioned in passing in an essay 'Music on Music' that was once attributed to Plutarch. In-Game History Description Gods made their appearances in every installment and are an important element in the series. They first appeared as the main allies of Kratos, granting him powerful magics and weapons throughout his journey. After Zeus' betrayal, Kratos allies with the Titans in the hopes of obtaining revenge against Zeus, declaring war on the rest of Olympus as well. By God of War III, they are the main group of antagonists whom Kratos kills, one after another. Birth and Prophecy In the beginning, there was Chaos, the first primordial void from which all of creation came. From Chaos came the Island of Creation and together with the Island, the Sisters of Fate were born as some of the first creatures of the world. Over time, the Titans evolved from the island itself, becoming the source of all nature and magic. Later, the Titans left the island and forged the rest of the world. Reigning over the Titans, the mighty Cronos learned from Gaia that one day he would be overthrown by his own children. In an attempt to gain their favor, Cronos gifted the Sisters with the Steeds of Time. Although they accepted the gift, they refused to change his fate. Trying to prevent the inevitable, Cronos devoured his children born of Rhea one by one: Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. When the time came that the last of his children, Zeus, was to be swallowed, Rhea could not bear another such loss. She devised a plan to have Zeus taken to a place far away from the watchful eyes of his cruel father. Calling upon the eagle, Rhea kissed her son goodbye as he was taken to be watched over by Gaia. Rhea wrapped a stone in cloth and Cronos swallowed it, foolishly believing it to be Zeus. Great War Under the care of Gaia, Zeus was raised with the desire to free his siblings from the belly of Cronos. When he came of age, he journeyed back to the Island of Creation and forced Cronos to regurgitate his siblings. Fully grown, these new gods came to be known as the Olympians, and started a war against the Titans, thus betraying Gaia, whose act of compassion would haunt the Titans for the rest of their lives. Atlas led the Titans into a furious battle, although some Titans, like Prometheus and Helios, would betray their fellow Titans and join the Olympians. Hades and Poseidon managed to bring Atlas to his knees and steal his soul, but this would not stop the Titans from continuing their efforts to eliminate the Olympians. The war would completely reshape the landscape of the mortal world into its current shape. Zeus forged a weapon from both the heavens and the Earth called the Blade of Olympus, which was used to banish the Titans to the darkest pits of the Underworld – Tartarus. This battle also caused evils to accumulate, which would later be stored in Pandora's Box to protect humanity from corruption. Aftermath The Titans were brutally tortured for eternity as a permanent reminder of what they had done, despite Cronos being the only Titan who had done anything wrong in the first place. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades split the world into three. Zeus was given domain over the heavens and was ultimately the ruler of both the gods and all of the universe; Poseidon was given domain over all forms of water, controlling the seas, winds and weather; Hades was given domain over the Underworld, the darkest realm of the world where the souls of the dead would journey. Prometheus, caring for the lowly mortals, gave them the fires of Mount Olympus, which Zeus perceived as a betrayal. In response, Zeus robbed Prometheus of his immortality and forced him to endure great suffering by having an eagle consume him every day, fully healing and resurrecting him each time so that this cycle of torment would never cease. Helios, however, became the god of the sun and light and was accepted in the Greek pantheon. Birth of the Evils As mentioned previously, the conclusion of the Great War also marked the birth of the Evils, ethereal manifestations of all of the world's vices and corruption. Zeus, realizing the danger they posed if left free, commissioned Hephaestus to construct a vessel to contain them -Pandora's Box- which would be placed within the Flame of Olympus to ensure that no one could ever release the Evils within. However, upon completing the box, Hephaestus recommended the back of Cronos as the best place to hide it, reasoning that no one would be able to defeat the mighty Titan to reach it. Unbeknownst to Zeus, Hephaestus' choice was an attempt to protect Pandora, the living key to the Flame of Olympus whom Hephaestus had come to see as his own daughter. With that matter settled, Zeus drew the Evils into Pandora's Box. Athena also placed the essence of Hope inside the box, as a means to counteract the Evils in the event that the box was ever opened. Pandora's Temple The gods appeared before the architect, Pathos Verdes III, tasking him with the construction of a temple to house Pandora's Box. After building the temple, Cronos was forced to carry it on his back and wander the Desert of Lost Souls until the fierce desert winds ripped the flesh from his body. When called upon with the Titan Horn, he would have to allow warriors to climb upon him and journey through the temple. Following the deaths of his children, Pathos Verdes III grew more and more insane as he built the many traps and puzzles within the temple, eventually murdering his wife and committing suicide. The Birth of a Beast Zeus, the King of Olympus, was famous for his numerous erotic escapades with other women. He was married to Hera, the Queen of Olympus, who bore him the God of War Ares and the Smith God Hephaestus. Before his marriage to Hera, Zeus had been married to the Titan Metis. After being informed of a prophecy by Gaia, which foretold that the son of Metis would overthrow Olympus, Zeus turned Metis into a fly and swallowed her whole. She had already been gifted with a child however, who was born from the head of Zeus. This child came to be known as the goddess Athena. In Sparta, Zeus, together with a mortal woman named Callisto, became the father of two warriors, with the oldest one being Kratos and the youngest one being Deimos. Callisto, however, was forbidden by Zeus to tell either child who their father was. Around this time, an Oracle foretold that one of Zeus' sons, a "Marked Warrior", would one day rebel against Zeus and kill him. As Kratos' brother Deimos had been born with a strange birthmark, Zeus ordered Ares and Athena to abduct Deimos and bring him to Thanatos, the God of Death. Kratos attempted to save his brother, only for Ares to swat him aside, knocking him into a pile of wood. Enraged by the mortal's defiance, Ares drew his blade with the intention of killing the young Kratos, but Athena intervened, telling Ares that they had what they came for before apologizing to Kratos and departing back to the Heavens. The loss of his brother left an indelible mark on Kratos, as he vowed to never falter again. In honor of his brother, Kratos had himself tattooed in the exact image of Deimos' birthmark. Ares' Champion As he grew older, Kratos became a fearsome and well-respected Spartan captain. However, during a fierce battle with the barbarians of the East, his life seemed destined for an early end. In a moment of desperation, Kratos called upon Ares, pledging himself to the God of War in return for the death of his foes. Seeing potential in the young warrior, Ares obliged, slaying the barbarians and giving Kratos the Blades of Chaos as a mark of his new allegiance. With his Spartan companions, Kratos (now a general) served Ares’ will and slaughtered thousands of innocents in his name. Feeling Kratos could become far stronger by eliminating any weaknesses, Ares deceived his servant into burning down the village where Kratos’ wife and child were present. Blinded by bloodlust, Kratos was warned by the Village Oracle that if he were to enter the main temple within the village, he would be haunted for the rest of his life. Ignoring her plea, Kratos entered the temple and killed everyone inside, including his wife and child. Kratos believed that his wife and child were back home in Sparta, and was thus horrified to see their corpses before him. Ares appeared before Kratos, revealing that it was he who had placed his family in the temple and that with nothing left in his way, he would become death incarnate. Kratos ignored Ares’ arrogance and learned that he was tricked by the very god who once saved his life. The Village Oracle gathered the ashes of Kratos’ loved ones and fastened them to his skin, permanently reminding him of the greatest sin he committed. Vengeful and despairing, Kratos' goal now was to serve Olympus and redeem himself, and in the future take his revenge upon Ares. Pursued by the Furies For breaking his oath, Ares sent the Furies to capture Kratos and force him to once again serve the God of War. Kratos was trapped in an illusion of his home in Sparta, but Orkos appeared before him and encouraged him to see past the illusion, using Lysandra's necklace and ring as totem to discern reality from illusion. Though Kratos distrusted him, he followed Orkos' instruction to seek out Aletheia, the Oracle at Delphi. The Oracle was captured by Pollux and Castor, and Kratos took the Amulet of Uroborus from them after he killed them. Kratos traveled to the Harbor of Kirra where he encountered Orkos again. The oath keeper revealed that he is the son of Ares and Alecto. Ares wanted a perfect warrior who could help him overthrow Zeus, thus allowing Ares to rule Olympus for himself. Disappointed in Orkos, Ares disowned his son, and Orkos became the oath keeper of the Furies to please his mother. He explained that Kratos was the warrior Ares sought and for that reason, Ares helped Kratos against the barbarians. The murder of his family was meant to be one of three "tests" that would bind Kratos to Ares's will. Orkos did his bidding as the oath keeper and did not question the Furies until Ares tricked Kratos into killing his family. Armed with this knowledge, Kratos took a ship to Delos. Kratos arrives at the island of Delos and traverses a giant, ruined statue of Apollo. He is attacked by all three Furies and manages to cut off Megaera's arm, but Alecto uses her power to capture Kratos. Orkos appears and frees Kratos, taking him elsewhere upon the statue, with Alecto vowing that he will never succeed. After a perilous journey, Kratos uses the Amulet of Uroborus to fully restore the statue and retrieve the Eyes from the Lantern. Unfortunately, after completing the Trials of Archimedes, he is ambushed by the Furies once more, who take him captive and steal the Eyes and the Amulet. Over the next two weeks, Kratos is tortured by the Furies in the Prison of the Damned. He managed to free himself when Megaera went too far with her torture. He then pursued the Fury through the prison. She and Tisiphone attempted to misdirect him, as a building he enters is projected as a brothel. When he goes to sleep with a woman, he spots the ring on her finger and realizes that this is an illusion. Kratos tackles the woman, who is revealed to be Tisiphone. Megaera intervenes, however, insisting that Kratos belongs to her and releasing insects into Aegaeon's hands and mouth, thus mutating its prisoners into insect-titan hybrids. After Kratos killed Megaera and Aegeaon, retrieving the Amulet of Uroboros, Tisiphone creates an illusion of him being honored by the King of Sparta. But again, Kratos sees through it. He soon finds the Scribe of Hecatonchires, who reveals that both Ares and the Furies planned to overthrow Zeus. The Scribe was the first to be imprisoned by the Furies, and although they were originally fair in their punishment, they became ruthless under Ares' influence. Making his way to Alecto's chamber, Kratos manages to retrieve the Oath Stone from Tisiphone's pet bird, Daimon. But upon entering the chamber, the Furies project another illusion, this time of Kratos' home in Sparta. Kratos is nearly taken in by this, for he got to see his wife and daughter again. He grows close to sleeping with the image of Lysandra but notices the ring on her finger, instantly recognizing it to be an illusion. "Lysandra" is revealed to be Alecto, who tries to convince Kratos that he could live in this illusion if he rejoined Ares; however, noticing the Eyes of Truth hanging on her hip, he defiantly refused, preferring the truth to living a lie. Enraged, Alecto drops the illusion and threatens to execute him if he would not serve. Kratos breaks free of her sludge trap and manages to snatch the Eyes from Alecto, who retreats deeper into her sanctum before she realized they were gone. Tisiphone joined Alecto as Kratos advanced on the remaining Furies. They created an illusion of a massive whirlpool, with Alecto transforming into Caribdis the sea monster. Using the Eyes, Kratos broke through the Furies' illusions and forced Alecto back into her human form. As he advanced on the Fury Queen, Tisiphone dispatched Daimon against him but Kratos simply used the Eyes to destroy the bird. He proceeded to physically charge at Tisiphone, as she shapeshifted between the forms of the King and Kratos himself, belittling him. As he wrapped his hands around her throat, Tisiphone transformed into Lysandra, causing Kratos to briefly cease his assault before shrugging it off and continuing his onslaught. Tisiphone then changed into the Village Oracle, telling him that his family was not there that night he killed them by chance, before Kratos snapped her neck, killing her. With Alecto left for last, Kratos drew his blades. The Fury Queen coldly tells him that the truth would only bring him pain before he plunges his blades into her chest. With her last breath, Alecto spitefully promises that her death would change nothing before Kratos kills her. Kratos returned to his home in Sparta, where he was met by Orkos. Although praising Kratos' victory over the Furies, he reveals that he was remade the oath keaper once again, maintaining Kratos' bond to Ares. He begged Kratos to give him an honorable death, as it would free them both from the god, to which Kratos refused, proclaiming that no more innocent blood should be spilled. However, Orkos' continuing requests ultimately forced Kratos' hand. After killing Orkos, Kratos experienced the first of his many nightmares, previously masked by his bond to Ares: this was the price he had to pay for the truth. He also discovered his path to redemption through continual service to Olympus. Kratos proceeded to burn down his house, with the corpse of Orkos inside it. Servitude to the Gods For ten years, Kratos served the Olympian gods, in hopes of gaining their forgiveness and releasing him from the nightmares of his past. In one notable instance, he was defending the city of Attica from a Persian assault when Helios was kidnapped from the sky by the freed Titan Atlas, who used the power of the sun to destroy the Pillar of the World. It was because of Persephone that Atlas was released from his torture, for she wanted nothing more than to be free of her miserable existence. Kratos saved the world by leaving his daughter in Elysium and destroying Persephone, who told him that he would never be free from his nightmares. He then enchained Atlas to uphold the world on his shoulders, where the mighty Titan claimed the two would meet again. Poseidon had been angered by the chaos and destruction left behind by the Hydra. As Kratos journeyed through the Aegean Sea, he noticed a massive shipwreck caused by the creature. He was called upon by the Sea God to rid the waters of the Hydra, granting him the ability of Poseidon's Rage, an attack that would create a devastating blow on the creature. Ares' jealousy towards Athena grew ever so strong, and he called upon the creatures of the Underworld to invade Athens. Zeus had forbidden the gods from waging war on each other and so Athena looked to Kratos for help. With her guidance, Kratos was given Medusa's Gaze from Aphrodite, Zeus' Fury from Zeus, the Blade of Artemis from Artemis, and the Army of Hades from Hades. Kratos retrieved Pandora’s Box and used its power to become powerful enough to face Ares. Using the Blade of the Gods, Kratos managed to kill Ares once and for all. Although he was forgiven of his sins, the gods refused to free Kratos from the memories that haunted him. Knowing that he would never be free from his sins, Kratos attempted suicide by jumping from the peak of the highest mountain in Greece, until he was saved by Athena and granted Ares' now empty throne on Olympus. Kratos, New God of War As the new god of war, Kratos was far more ruthless than Ares ever was. Kratos, still plagued by memories of his murdered family, grew fiercely bitter towards the gods for refusing to erase the memories of his past deeds and for their role in the capture and death of his brother, Deimos and forcing him to kill his beloved mother Callisto. Thinking of the gods as pathetic and weak, he found solace by leading Sparta in conquering the rest of Greece. Upset by this very fact, the gods became enraged with Kratos’ defiance and Zeus began to fear for his life. Athena tried to prevent Kratos from further destroying any more cities, warning him that the wrath of Olympus would soon present Kratos with the consequence of his actions. Ignoring her, Kratos helped his Spartan comrades take over the city of Rhodes. Zeus' Betrayal As Kratos aided his Spartan army as the God of War, Zeus (in the form of an eagle) sapped Kratos of most of his power, causing him to shrink to the size of a mortal. Subsequently, Zeus transferred this power to the Colossus of Rhodes, bringing it to life. Zeus, feigning allegiance with Kratos, tricked him into draining the rest of his godly Powers into the Blade of Olympus. Kratos was rendered mortal, as Zeus revealed himself to have orchestrated the fight between the Colossus and Kratos, betraying him and killing him using the blade. Kratos' Rebellion While in the Underworld, Kratos was faced by Gaia, who told him that the Titans would help overthrow Zeus, only if he were to journey to the Island of Creation and defeat the Sisters of Fate. Kratos escaped and rose once again, this time bent on revenge against Zeus. The Fate of Sparta Zeus had gone to the Sisters earlier because of his paranoia involving Kratos’ brutality. The Sisters told Zeus that Kratos was the son destined to overthrow him but that Zeus would be the victor in the end. Believing Kratos was dead, Zeus proceeded to destroy Sparta. Thinking that it was all over, he returned to his throne on Mount Olympus. Kratos learned of Sparta’s fate via the Last Spartan, becoming enraged and continuing his journey to kill Zeus, more determined than ever. Battle with the Fates The murals within the Hall of the Fates had depictions of their prophecies, both of the past and future. In one of the murals, the Olympians and the Titans were seen engaging in battle, which could either represent the original Titanomachy or the events of the Second Great War. In the second mural, a lone man, probably Kratos, stood amidst the destruction left behind. In the third mural, three men were walking towards a star in the sky, alluding the journey of the Three Wise Men towards the birth of Christ guided by the Star of Bethlehem. This represents the rise of Christianity after the downfall of Olympus and could signify that the Twilight of the Greek Gods occurred paving the way for the coming of Christ. After killing the Sisters, Kratos went back in time to the point where he was betrayed by Zeus. The Ghost of Sparta plunged himself at the king of the gods, and a great battle ensued. Arriving upon the Summit of Sacrifice, Kratos fought with great ferocity. Intervention Using the Blade of Olympus, Kratos stabbed Zeus multiple times before being stopped by Athena. Protecting her father, she flung herself in front of Kratos and was stabbed instead. Zeus fled to Olympus while Kratos spoke with Athena. She revealed that he was Zeus' son and that a vicious cycle of revenge had been passed down by his bloodline. After she died, Kratos used the power of time to journey back to the final moments of the Great War, bringing the Titans with him to destroy the Gods once and for all. Second Titanomachy The Second Titanomachy, also known as the second Great War, started with Zeus calling upon the Gods to discuss the events that had been occurring. He claimed that he would wipe out the plague created by Kratos and that the gods must unite to crush him. Olympus began to shake, and the Gods looked over the edge of the mountain. The Titans, led by Kratos, climbed towards the Olympians in hopes of destroying them. The Gods immediately responded to the threat of the Titans crawling up Mount Olympus. Helios, Hermes, Hercules, and Hades engaged the Titans head on, while Poseidon waits with Zeus. Overlooking the battle, Zeus saw the Titans and Gods were evenly matched.The King of the Gods thus decided to have Poseidon enter the fray. The God of Seas entered the battle, leaping off the top of Olympus, targeting the Titan Epimetheus. Hurled forward in a blast of water, Poseidon leaped right through Epimetheus' chest, killing him instantly and knocking him off the mountain into the waters below. With the help of his Hippocampi, which erupted from the water, Poseidon pulled at least one Titan off Mount Olympus before reaching Kratos and Gaia, in the form of a colossal watery construct. After a long and hard struggle, Kratos and Gaia combined their efforts, managing to kill the God of the Sea, with the Spartan gouging his eyes and snapping his neck. As Poseidon's corpse fell from Olympus, he began to disintegrate into a liquid mass and landed in the water. As a result of his death, the sea levels rose dramatically and massive waves ravaged the world, engulfing all but the highest mountain tops. Victorious from their battle with Poseidon, Kratos and Gaia reached Zeus, who then summoned a lightning bolt to blast them off the mountain, resulting in Kratos falling into the Underworld. In the Underworld, Kratos met with three Gods: a depressed Hephaestus, an infuriated Hades, and a spectral Athena. Eventually, Kratos reached Hades palace in the Underworld, leading to a fierce battle between the two. The battle reached its end when Kratos stole the Claws of Hades and used them to take Hades' soul, thereby releasing all of the dead souls from their torment. The souls of the River Styx then attacked Hades, tearing a hole in his abdomen and leaving his corpse to rot underwater. After leaving the Underworld, Kratos met Helios, the God of the Sun, in the war-torn city of Olympia. as Perses looks on]] Helios was still engaged in combat with the Titan Perses when Kratos reached the site of the battle. With the help of a Ballista, Kratos knocked Helios and his chariot into the grasp of Perses, who crushed and tossed the Sun God across the city. When Kratos found Helios, the gravely injured God appealed to Kratos to save him in exchange for any favor the Ghost of Sparta wanted, Kratos demanded to know the location of the Flame of Olympus, but Helios taunted him for his adamant desire to kill Zeus. When Kratos was about to beat him for answers, Helios called upon the power of the sun, temporarily blinding Kratos, but the latter managed to subdue Helios. In desperation, Helios attempted to trick Kratos into stepping into the Flame of Olympus, telling him that he would receive its power by doing so. Kratos wasn't fooled, as he had been told earlier by Hephaestus that the Flame was lethal to those who touch it, be they, man or god. Helios warned Kratos that his death would not lead him to Zeus, but Kratos had other ideas and decapitated the Sun God with his bare hands. Helios' decapitated head served Kratos as a weapon and a flashlight. The death of Helios resulted in the Sun being enshrouded by darkness and a torrential rainfall upon the world. Kratos next encountered Hermes, taunting him with his super speed, and running up the Chain of Balance, after which Kratos followed. Eventually, Kratos caught up with Hermes, leading to a chase in which Kratos struggled to keep up. Through the use of a catapult, Kratos used his Blades of Exile to latch on to the catapult's stone as it hurled towards the statue of Athena where Hermes was perched, destroying the statue, putting Hermes off-balance and greatly weakening him. After a brief battle, another God fell, and with the death of Hermes, millions of insects flew from his disintegrating body, infecting the world, thus creating the Plague of Olympus. Kratos next encountered Hera and her step-son Hercules (Kratos' half-brother). After mercilessly beating Hercules to death, Kratos fell into the sewers. Emerging from the sewers, Kratos encountered Aphrodite in her chambers. She directed Kratos to a nearby portal, which he used to travel back to the Underworld, where he once again found Hephaestus. Alarmed by the realization that Kratos was searching for Pandora herself, he sent Kratos on a suicide mission to find the Omphalos Stone in the hopes that Cronos would kill him. After a battle against the massive Titan, Cronos swallowed Kratos, who proceeded to break free using the Blade of Olympus, spilling his intestines in the process. Kratos returned to Hephaestus, who crafted the Nemesis Whip from the Omphalos Stone. He then found his end attempting to kill Kratos so that his daughter, Pandora, would be protected from him. Hera encountered Kratos within her gardens, and taunted him, saying his simple mind would not allow him to escape. He did, however, and after Hera goaded him even more, calling Pandora a "little whore", he snapped her neck. With the death of another Olympian, all the green life in all of Greece died. While Kratos brought the Labyrinth to Olympus, Zeus awaited him. Both father and son dueled around the remains of Olympus, but Pandora eventually reached the Flame of Olympus, resulting in her death. Kratos, once again opened Pandora's Box, hoping to use its power against Zeus, but was disappointed and shocked to learn that nothing was inside the box, while the King of Gods laughed at his son's failure. After yet another arduous battle between the two, Kratos finally killed his father, beating him to death. With the death of the last Olympian, massive amounts of lightning left his body, and entered the sky, plunging the world into Chaos as well as the chains bound to the Gods were shattered from Kratos. With this, Ares' plan was complete: Kratos had become the perfect warrior, killed Zeus and destroyed the rule of Olympus. Athena then appeared and asked Kratos to give back the power of Hope, which he had unknowingly used to defeat Zeus. Instead, Kratos impaled himself with the Blade of Olympus, to give Hope to all the mortals of the world. Athena left, disappointed by Kratos's actions, and the rule of the Olympian gods came to an end. The rest of the Gods left unscathed by Kratos' genocidal rampage (i.e Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, etc) through unknown means were either killed by the Titans or perished in the ensuing Chaos.https://twitter.com/corybarlog/status/763033940105891840 Physical appearance Many of the gods are indistinguishable from humans in appearance, though some look radically different. Also noteworthy is the fact that when a God dies, a catastrophic event occurs like an explosion or a devastating occurrence that is sometimes called a plague. The plague is based on what the god personifies like great flood waters (Poseidon), deadly swarms of flies (Hermes), the sun being blocked out by the clouds in the sky (Helios), and the souls of the dead escaping (Hades). The weaker gods, like Ceryx, however, die without any major consequences, as do Hephaestus, Ares and Athena (the latter two of whom after their death only release a large explosion). However, it is possible that these events are not major enough to warrant much attention. Powers & Abilities In addition to being immortal, the gods are superhuman beings. It's assumed that most of the gods in the God of War series possess the following: *Power granting *Duplication *Illusion creation *Invisibility *Mind manipulation *Dimensional manipulation *Advanced regeneration *Sensory enhancement *Superhuman agility *Flight *Absorption *Telepathy *Energy manipulation *Teleportation *Magic *Superhuman speed *Superhuman strength *Superhuman durability *Superhuman stamina *Elemental manipulation *Summoning *Petrification *Poison manipulation *Soul manipulation *Sound manipulation *Time manipualtion *Transmutation Some gods have specific powers that correlate to their Godly roles, as Zeus possesses projection and can conjure lightning, Poseidon can conjure and manipulate the element of water, and Hades possessing soul manipulation. It is unknown if the gods can resurrect those who have died. Some gods, like Zeus, Poseidon and Hades are considered the physically strongest, having immense powers compared to that of their ancestors. Others, like Ares, Athena, and Persephone, are somewhat weaker then their parents, but share similar levels in power. There are some minor, weaker Gods, like Ceryx or the Fire Steeds, that are considered servants to the Gods, and have no real power of their own but are still powerfully divine. While able to sustain great levels of damage, some Gods have been shown to die by injuries fatal to mortals. Athena died with a single stab of the Blade of Olympus, even though her father Zeus survived multiple impalements by the weapon, albeit Zeus was stronger than her to begin with, and the divine weapon was one of the few that gave the user the power to kill a God. The god Hephastus, however, died after being impaled upon his only anvil, which had apparently no special characteristics mystical or otherwise (though it can be assumed that Zeus stripped Hephastus of most of godly abilities). The Goddess Hera died by having Kratos break her neck. While this was a similar fate shared by her brother Poseidon, he was more vulnerable due to having fought both Kratos and Gaia. The increased vulnerability could also be due to the fact that Kratos possessed the Blade of Olympus, which could have rendered Poseidon's regenerative abilities useless in its presence. The Olympian Gods These are all the gods and goddesses who appear and/or are mentioned in the ''God of War'' series: Olympians * Zeus: (Deceased) God of the Sky, Thunder, and Lightning. The ruler and father of Olympus and King of the Gods. * Hera: (Deceased) Goddess of Women and Marriage, the sister-wife of Zeus, and the Queen of the Gods. * Poseidon: (Deceased) God of the Seas, Earthquakes, Horses, Weather, Clear Skies, Storms, Winds and Tempests. * Aphrodite: Goddess of Love, Beauty, Desire, Sexuality, Seduction, Procreation and Lust. * Ares: (Deceased) Original God of The War, Bloodlust, Violence, Murder , Cannibals and Cowardice. * Artemis: Goddess of the Hunt, Forests, Animals, Virginity, Childbirth and The Moon. * Athena: (Deceased) Goddess of Wisdom, Strategic Warfare, the Arts, Craft, Skill, Law and Justice. * Apollo: God of Light, Music, Poetry, Truth, Prophecy, Plague, Oracles, Knowledge and Medicine. * Demeter: Goddess of Agriculture and the Harvest and mother to Persephone. * Hermes: (Deceased) Messenger God of Olympus and God of Travelers, Speed, Commerce and Thievery and Athletes. * Hephaestus: (Deceased) Smith God of Olympus, and God of Fire, Forge, Volcanoes, Metalwork and Technology. * Helios: (Deceased) God of the Sun and brother to Eos and Selene, also considered a Titan. * Hades: (Deceased) God of the Underworld, Afterlife, Wealth, the Dead, Riches, Grief, Necromancy and Curses. * Persephone: (Deceased) Goddess of Spring and Innocence, also the Queen of the Underworld and wife of Hades. * Amphitrite: Goddess of the Sea and wife of Poseidon. * Triton: Son of Poseidon and messenger God of the Seas. He is the God of Waves. * Eos: Goddess/Titaness of Dawn and sister to Helios and Selene. * Selene: Goddess/Titaness of the Moon and sister to Helios and Eos. * Nike: Goddess of Victory. * Eros: 'God of Desire, son of Aphrodite. Pre-Olympian Gods * 'Lahkesis: (Deceased) Goddess of Present and a Sister of Fate. * Atropos: (Deceased) Goddess of Future and a Sister of Fate. * Clotho: (Deceased) Goddess of Past and a Sister of Fate. * Thanatos: (Deceased) Primordial God of Death. * Boreas: (Deceased) God of North Winds and Winter, an entity that leads the Sun Chariot and the Fire Steeds. * Eurus: (Deceased) God of East winds, one of the Fire Steeds. * Notus: (Deceased) God of South winds, one of the Fire Steeds. * Zephyrus: (Deceased) God of West winds, one of the Fire Steeds. * Alecto: (Deceased) Goddess of Wrath, one of the Furies; charged with punishing those who committed moral crimes such as anger, especially when used against others. * Megaera: (Deceased) Goddess of Envy, one of the Furies; punished those who had committed crimes and infidelity. * Tisiphone: (Deceased) Goddess of Vengeance, one of the Furies; punisher of those who had committed crimes of murder: parricide, fratricide and homicide. Demigods * Kratos: Son of Zeus and second God of War, later rebelled against and killed the Gods of Olympus after Zeus betrayed and killed him and for being betrayed by the Gods for the last time. * Ceryx: (Deceased) Son of Hermes and a messenger God. * Deimos: (Deceased) Son of Zeus and brother to Kratos, locked deep in death's domain due to him having birthmarks similar to the prophesied 'marked warrior'. * Hercules: (Deceased) Son of Zeus and half-brother to Kratos, Deimos, Pollux and Perseus. * Pollux: (Deceased) Son of Zeus and half-brother to Hercules, Deimos, Kratos and Castor, attached to Castor's abdomen. * Perseus: (Deceased) Son of Zeus and half-brother to Hercules, Kratos, Deimos and Pollux. * Theseus: (Deceased) Son of Poseidon and keeper of the Steeds of Time. * Polyphemus: Titan Cyclopes son of Poseidon and the Nymph Thoosa. Gallery Zeus.JPG|Zeus poseidon1.jpg|Poseidon hera.jpg|Hera Hades God of War.jpg|Hades Colossus 2.jpg|Helios hermes1.jpg|Hermes athena ghost.jpg|Athena Aphrodite1.jpg|Aphrodite Younghephaestus.jpg|Hephaestus apollo.jpg|Apollo Artemis.jpg|Artemis Persephone.jpg|Persephone Eos.jpg|Eos Ceryx2.jpg|Ceryx Boreas.jpg|Boreas Amphitrite.jpg|Amphitrite Thanatos.jpg|Thanatos Kratos11.jpg|Kratos the new God of War Sisters of Fate.jpg|The Sisters of Fate Triton.jpg|Triton Nike.jpg|Nike god-of-war-20050315041104587.jpg|The God of War manual Gods overview Youngzeus.jpg|Young Zeus References Trivia *Many of the gods were left unmentioned in God of War III. Among many minor gods; the major Olympians who didn't appear were Demeter, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus. It is possible that they fled from the war or wished to have no part in it. This could mean that some gods refused to help Zeus in his war against Kratos. Aphrodite was encountered, but she had no intention of fighting or insulting Kratos and was left unharmed. Artemis was also encountered in God of War, where she aided Kratos, yet she has not been seen again. **However, Cory Barlog stated on his Twitter account that they were all killed by Kratos, but this has yet to be confirmed in the series. *Gods from other pantheons do exist in God of War universe, notably of the Norse. *Though Thanatos, the Furies and the Sisters of Fate are Gods, they are not affiliated with the Olympians. *The color that seems to represent the gods of Olympus is blue, primordial gods usually have their own separate color, such as Thanatos having yellow representing him. *Many of the gods seem to possess Roman noses, among them Zeus, Poseidon, Ares and Hephaestus. Other characters related to them such as Rhea, Prometheus and Kratos himself also possess this trait. 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